Peace and Environment Forum: Tar sands oil

The next Peace and Environment Forum at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate will be Thursday, June 10, from 7:15 to 8:45 pm. Debra Michaud will talk on "Tar Sands Oil: Neo-Colonialism Meets Oil Addiction."

Sixteen miles from Chicago sits the British Petroleum refinery, the largest refinery of tar sands oil in the U.S. Thousands of gallons per day of the waste product are dumped in our very own tailings pond, Lake Michigan.

The Canadian tar sands have been described as the oil junkie's last resort. They derive from a dirty mixture of sand, clay, water, and oil and are 3-5 times more greenhouse gas intensive than conventional oil. Their extraction has changed the way of life for dozens of indigenous communities throughout northern Canada.

Debra will discuss the impact of the tar sands on the environment and on indigenous communities, and the Midwest's centrality to tar sands expansion. She will share stories from her trip to a tar sands conference in Canada. She will also give a brief update on Chicago's Clean Power Ordinance.

Debra Michaud is the founder of Rainforest Action Network Chicago, a grassroots organization dedicated to achieving environmental and social justice in Chicago and beyond. Debra is a longtime activist and organizer for many peace and justice causes.

Ancient Dragon Zen Gate is located at 1922 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. The Ancient Dragon Zen Gate Peace and Environment Forum is held most months;
check for schedule on www.ancientdragon.org. Everyone is welcome, no pre-registration required, any donation accepted.